Telecommunications networks

ABSTRACT

A method of configuring a telecommunications network comprising the steps of collecting analytics data from a network (NAD) and analytics data (TAD) from at least one User Equipment (UE), analyzing said NAD and TAD and configuring at least one network feature according to the NAD and the TAD.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 toUnited Kingdom Patent Application No. 1816129.9 filed on Oct. 3, 2018and United Kingdom Patent Application No. 1913200.0 filed on Sep. 12,2019, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present disclosure relates to an improved means of improving theperformance of a telecommunications network. It makes use, inparticular, of analytics data which is collected at a User Equipment(UE) and used in conjunction with network analytics data. Here, UErefers to a mobile device, vehicle, sensor or any other device operableto support 5G broadband cellular network radio technologies.

2. Description of Related Art

To meet the demand for wireless data traffic having increased sincedeployment of 4G communication systems, efforts have been made todevelop an improved 5G or pre-5G communication system. Therefore, the 5Gor pre-5G communication system is also called a ‘Beyond 4G Network’ or a‘Post LTE System’. The 5G communication system is considered to beimplemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands, e.g., 60 GHz bands, soas to accomplish higher data rates. To decrease propagation loss of theradio waves and increase the transmission distance, the beamforming,massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), Full Dimensional MIMO(FD-MIMO), array antenna, an analog beam forming, large scale antennatechniques are discussed in 5G communication systems. In addition, in 5Gcommunication systems, development for system network improvement isunder way based on advanced small cells, cloud Radio Access Networks(RANs), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication,wireless backhaul, moving network, cooperative communication,Coordinated Multi-Points (CoMP), reception-end interference cancellationand the like. In the 5G system, Hybrid FSK and QAM Modulation (FQAM) andsliding window superposition coding (SWSC) as an advanced codingmodulation (ACM), and filter bank multi carrier (FBMC), non-orthogonalmultiple access (NOMA), and sparse code multiple access (SCMA) as anadvanced access technology have been developed.

The Internet, which is a human centered connectivity network wherehumans generate and consume information, is now evolving to the Internetof Things (IoT) where distributed entities, such as things, exchange andprocess information without human intervention. The Internet ofEverything (IoE), which is a combination of the IoT technology and theBig Data processing technology through connection with a cloud server,has emerged. As technology elements, such as “sensing technology”,“wired/wireless communication and network infrastructure”, “serviceinterface technology”, and “Security technology” have been demanded forIoT implementation, a sensor network, a Machine-to-Machine (M2M)communication, Machine Type Communication (MTC), and so forth have beenrecently researched. Such an IoT environment may provide intelligentInternet technology services that create a new value to human life bycollecting and analyzing data generated among connected things. IoT maybe applied to a variety of fields including smart home, smart building,smart city, smart car or connected cars, smart grid, health care, smartappliances and advanced medical services through convergence andcombination between existing Information Technology (IT) and variousindustrial applications.

In line with this, various attempts have been made to apply 5Gcommunication systems to IoT networks. For example, technologies such asa sensor network, Machine Type Communication (MTC), andMachine-to-Machine (M2M) communication may be implemented bybeamforming, MIMO, and array antennas. Application of a cloud RadioAccess Network (RAN) as the above-described Big Data processingtechnology may also be considered to be as an example of convergencebetween the 5G technology and the IoT technology.

In prior art networks, it is usual to collect analytics data in thenetwork, wherein said data is collected at various network entities andused to inform the operation of the network and to improve itsperformance.

In the prior art, a lot of data is generated by the UEs in the system,but this data is not routinely used in optimizing or improving thenetwork. Embodiments of the present disclosure aim to provide animproved network optimization procedure, utilizing information availableat the UE.

3GPP is currently standardizing what is known as Service-BasedArchitecture (SBA) for the Fifth Generation (5G) Core as part of SystemArchitecture for 5G systems in Release 15. In SBA, different networkfunctions and associated services can directly communicate with eachother as Originator or Consumer of a service via a common bus known asService-based Interface (SBI). One Key function envisioned within SBA isNetwork Data Analytics Function (NWDAF), enabling network functionaccess to the Operator-driven analytics for different purposes includingintelligent slice selection and control. In Release 16, 3GPP intends toimprove NWDAF scope via introducing use cases and solutions forsupporting network automation deployment.

There are already established services within next generationservice-based Core Network (CN) to access operator-specific analytics(NWDAF). The current defined services are mainly envisioned to sharesuch information within the CN between different Network Functions(NFs). Policy Control Function (PCF) and Network Slice selectionFunction (NSSF) at cross-slice level are currently envisioned as the keyconsumers of such services.

UEs are natural data collection points to gather more localizedanalytics within the network. New enhancements can be defined for NWDAFand/or other NFs to leverage UE-driven analytics in order to improveslice selection at UE-level. Such information may help the NWDAF to makemore intelligent decisions on slice selection (e.g. to switch from aslice with more flexible resources to a resilient one or vice versa).

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provideda method of configuring a telecommunications network comprising thesteps of collecting analytics data from a network, NAD, and analyticsdata, TAD, from at least one User Equipment, UE, analyzing said NAD andTAD and configuring at least one network feature accordingly.

In an embodiment, the method further comprises the step of determiningif there is a change in QoE and, if so, obtaining the TAD from NWDAF andthen combining with observed NAD.

In an embodiment, after combining, determining if at least one networkfeature is to be updated and, if so, updating the at least one networkfeature.

In an embodiment, the at least one network feature is a network slice.

In an embodiment, the slice mapping is updated per UE or plurality ofUEs.

In an embodiment, in order to enable TAD settings on the UE, thefollowing steps are performed: NWDAF invokes a transfer operation on anappropriate AMF including the UE Configuration Update Command messagecontainer, wherein the container includes a TAD Settings InformationElement; the AMF sends a UE Configuration Update Command towards the UE;the UE sends a UE Configuration Update Complete towards the AMF; and ifthe NWDAF has previously requested notification, the AMF will invokenotify operation.

In an embodiment, in order to acquire TAD from a UE, the following stepsare performed: NWDAF subscribes to AMF to be informed of allRegistration Requests containing a TAD Information Element; the AMFcompletes NWDAF subscription request and responds; the AMF receives aregistration request from the UE including TAD; the AMF notifiescorresponding NWDAF to which it has already subscribed; the NWDAF uses aNamf_TAD_GET Request message to retrieve the TAD; and the AMF respondswith TAD to the NWDAF.

In an embodiment, in order to acquire TAD from a UE, the following stepsare performed: NWDAF subscribes to AMF event exposure service, providinga “TAD Update” Event ID to be informed of occurrences of this event; theAMF responds to the NWDAF subscription, also providing subscriptioncorrelation ID; and the UE sends a Registration Request that includesTAD, which triggers notification of the event towards the NWDAF togetherwith the new TAD.

In an embodiment, acquiring TAD from a UE may be performed according anevent-based trigger or a timer-based trigger.

In an embodiment, an event-based trigger comprises one or more of: achange in UE QoE; average or median of packet latency; packet errorrate; and average or median of packet jitter.

In an embodiment, a timer-based trigger is defined for an individualSubscription Permanent Identifier, SUPI, a set of SUPIs or for allSUPIs.

In an embodiment, there is further provided the steps of: NWDAFsubscribes to a TAD Update event from AMF for a particular UE, a groupof UEs, or all UEs; the AMF responds to the subscription request,including a correlation ID; at a later point in time, set by a timervalue, the UE performs a Registration Request, and includes new TAD IEas part of the Registration Request; and the AMF reports the new TAD tothe NWDAF including also AMF ID and correlation ID for the TAD UpdateEvent ID.

In an embodiment, there is further provided the steps of: NWDAF receivesload level notifications for network slice instances; the NWDAF comparesits knowledge of past load levels for the network slice instances thatS-NSSAI-A can be mapped to with past TAD information on QoE experiencedby one or more UEs using S-NSSAI-A; the NWDAF determines that in certainlocations, at certain times, QoE levels provided to UEs by a networkslice instance drops significantly but is within targets for UEs usingother instances; the NWDAF creates a new selection policy that sendsmore UEs to the other network slice instances at certain times, and incertain locations; NWDAF notifies NSSF that the selection policy haschanged and provides a newly proposed slice selection policy update; aUE initiates a Registration Request towards the AMF, including aRequested NSSAI that contains S-NSSAI-A; the AMF requests the NSSF toprovide the Allowed NSSAI; the NSSF selects a slice instance to serveS-NSSAI-A based on the updated selection mapping policy received fromthe NWDAF; the NSSF provides the Allowed NSSAI to the AMF; and the AMFsends a Registration Accept message to the UE.

In an embodiment, there is further provided the steps of: NWDAF receivesload level notifications for network slice instances; the NWDAF comparesits knowledge of past load levels for the network slice instances thatS-NSSAI-A can be mapped to with past TAD information on QoE experiencedby UEs using S-NSSAI-A; the NWDAF determines that in certain locations,at certain times, QoE levels provided to UEs by a network slice instancedrops significantly, but is within targets for UEs using otherinstances; the NWDAF updates subscribed S-NSSAI; UDM update triggers anotification to AMF on new S-NSSAI; the AMF invokes a User ConfigurationUpdate to the UE to notify S-NSSAI changes; the UE confirms UserConfiguration Update complete; the UE initiates a Registration Requesttowards the AMF, including a Requested NSSAI that contains the newS-NSSAI; the AMF requests the NSSF to provide a slice instance based onthe requested NSSAI; and the NSSF selects a slice instance to serve thenew S-NSSAI.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided an apparatus arranged to perform the method of the firstaspect.

According to the present disclosure there is provided an apparatus andmethod as set forth in the appended claims. Other features of thedisclosure will be apparent from the dependent claims, and thedescription which follows.

To efficiently incorporate Terminal Analytics into NWDAF, some keyissues need to be addressed including type of Terminal analytics update,triggers to generate such analytics and procedures to share suchanalytics with NWDAF within 5G core (CN). Embodiments of this disclosurerelate to some key types of terminal analytics and methods/procedures toefficiently share/incorporate such analytics.

According to the present disclosure, there is provided a method ofconfiguring a telecommunications network comprising the steps ofcollecting analytics data from a network (Network Analytics Data, NAD)and analytics data from at least one user equipment (Terminal AnalyticsData, TAD), analyzing said network and user equipment analytics data andconfiguring at least one network feature accordingly.

Suitably, this allows the network to take into account the experience ofone or more UEs in the network, using data which is only available tothe UEs, thereby allowing the network to better configure itself bymaking use of this data which would otherwise be invisible to it.

By making use of signaling in the control plane (CP), use is made ofpre-existing messaging systems and protocols wherever possible. Newinformation elements are defined where needed, but these are made toconform, where possible with pre-existing schemes.

Suitably, analytics data is collected from a plurality of userequipments.

Suitably, one or more triggers are defined which are used to enablereporting of TAD. These triggers can be event-based and/or time-based,as required.

Suitably, event-based triggers may be based on a change in QoE for oneor more UEs.

Suitably, such triggers can include one or more of:

-   -   Average or median of packet latency;    -   Packet error rate    -   Average or median of packet jitter.

Suitably, time-based triggers include UE registration requests.

Suitably, the at least one network feature includes slice selection.

Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may beadvantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases usedthroughout this patent document: the terms “include” and “comprise,” aswell as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term“or,” is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases “associated with” and“associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean toinclude, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be containedwithin, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with,cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to orwith, have, have a property of, or the like; and the term “controller”means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least oneoperation, such a device may be implemented in hardware, firmware orsoftware, or some combination of at least two of the same. It should benoted that the functionality associated with any particular controllermay be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely.

Moreover, various functions described below can be implemented orsupported by one or more computer programs, each of which is formed fromcomputer readable program code and embodied in a computer readablemedium. The terms “application” and “program” refer to one or morecomputer programs, software components, sets of instructions,procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data, or aportion thereof adapted for implementation in a suitable computerreadable program code. The phrase “computer readable program code”includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code,and executable code. The phrase “computer readable medium” includes anytype of medium capable of being accessed by a computer, such as readonly memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive, acompact disc (CD), a digital video disc (DVD), or any other type ofmemory. A “non-transitory” computer readable medium excludes wired,wireless, optical, or other communication links that transporttransitory electrical or other signals. A non-transitory computerreadable medium includes media where data can be permanently stored andmedia where data can be stored and later overwritten, such as arewritable optical disc or an erasable memory device.

Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout thispatent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understandthat in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, aswell as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and itsadvantages, reference is now made to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like referencenumerals represent like parts:

FIG. 1 shows a flowchart illustrating a method according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a message exchange according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows two options for sharing analytics between a UE and thenetwork according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows a message exchange according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a message exchange according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 6 shows a message exchange according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a UE according to one embodimentof the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of an AMF according to one embodimentof the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 illustrates a block diagram of a NSSF according to one embodimentof the present disclosure; and

FIG. 10 illustrates a block diagram of a NWDAF according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 through 10, discussed below, and the one or more embodimentsused to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patentdocument are by way of illustration only and should not be construed inany way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the artwill understand that the principles of the present disclosure may beimplemented in any suitably arranged system or device.

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings isprovided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of one or moreembodiments of the disclosure as defined by the claims and theirequivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in thatunderstanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary.Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatvarious changes and modifications of the one or more embodimentsdescribed herein can be made without departing from the scope and spiritof the disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions andconstructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are notlimited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by theinventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of thedisclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in theart that the following description of one or more embodiments of thedisclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for thepurpose of limiting the disclosure as defined by the appended claims andtheir equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes referenceto one or more of such surfaces.

In describing the one or more embodiments of the disclosure,descriptions related to technical contents which are well-known in theart to which the disclosure pertains, and are not directly associatedwith the disclosure, will be omitted. Such an omission of unnecessarydescriptions is intended to prevent obscuring of the main idea of thedisclosure and more clearly transfer the main idea.

For the same reason, in the accompanying drawings, some elements may beexaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated. Further, the size ofeach element does not entirely reflect the actual size. In the drawings,identical or corresponding elements are provided with identicalreference numerals.

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, a method of indicatingan SP SRS as a reference signal by a terminal is provided. The methodincludes receiving, from a base station, information for a soundingreference signal (SRS) configuration, receiving, from the base station,a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) for activating asemi-persistent (SP) SRS, and transmitting, to the base station, an SRSon a first cell based on the information for the SRS configuration andthe MAC CE for activating the SP SRS, wherein the MAC CE for activatingthe SP SRS includes an indicator for indicating whether serving cellinformation and bandwidth part (BWP) information for a reference signalassociated with spatial relationship are present.

The advantages and features of the disclosure and ways to achieve themwill be apparent by making reference to embodiments as described belowin conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the disclosureis not limited to the embodiments set forth below, but may beimplemented in various different forms. The following embodiments areprovided only to completely disclose the disclosure and inform thoseskilled in the art of the scope of the disclosure, and the disclosure isdefined only by the scope of the appended claims. Throughout thespecification, the same or like reference numerals designate the same orlike elements.

Here, it will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations, and combinations of blocks in the flowchartillustrations, can be implemented by computer program instructions.These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of ageneral purpose computer, special purpose computer, or otherprogrammable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such thatthe instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer orother programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks.These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerusable or computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or otherprogrammable data processing apparatus to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer usable orcomputer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture includinginstruction means that implement the function specified in the flowchartblock or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loadedonto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to causea series of operations to be performed on the computer or otherprogrammable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process suchthat the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmableapparatus provide operations for implementing the functions specified inthe flowchart block or blocks.

And each block of the flowchart illustrations may represent a module,segment, or portion of code, which includes one or more executableinstructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). Itshould also be noted that in some alternative implementations, thefunctions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order. For example,two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantiallyconcurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverseorder, depending upon the functionality involved.

As used herein, the “unit” refers to a software element or a hardwareelement, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which performs apredetermined function. However, the “unit does not always have ameaning limited to software or hardware. The “unit” may be constructedeither to be stored in an addressable storage medium or to execute oneor more processors. Therefore, the “unit” includes, for example,software elements, object-oriented software elements, class elements ortask elements, processes, functions, properties, procedures,sub-routines, segments of a program code, drivers, firmware,micro-codes, circuits, data, database, data structures, tables, arrays,and parameters. The elements and functions provided by the “unit” may beeither combined into a smaller number of elements, “unit” or dividedinto a larger number of elements, “unit”. Moreover, the elements and“units” may be implemented to reproduce one or more central processingunits (CPUs) within a device or a security multimedia card.

To identify key useful terminal analytics i.e. analytics derived from orassociated with the UE, it is important to first establish generic typesof analytics that can be useful for the network according to the knownart:

-   -   1. Descriptive—What is happening now based on incoming data.    -   2. Diagnostic—A look at past performance to determine what        happened and why.    -   3. Predictive—An analysis of likely scenarios of what might        happen.    -   4. Prescriptive—This type of analysis reveals what actions        should be taken.

From analytics' value perspective, Type 1 or Type 2 data analytics canbe generated in rather large volumes depending on key parameters underobservation. However, there is little value in such analytics, sincethere are already established Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) loggedby network Operators to implicitly or explicitly log and store suchanalytics.

On the other hand, Type 3 or Type 4 analytics, can be more valuable fornetwork operation as they enable an Operator to predict an event (e.g.network overload, an upcoming outage or failure) earlier than wouldotherwise be the case and then to adopt suitable preemptive actions toensure smooth network operation.

Mobile Terminals (UEs) can closely monitor a device experience ondifferent aspects (thanks to different types of sensors, positioning andprofiling systems they have access to). This enables a mobile terminalto generate some key predictive or prescriptive analytics (i.e. Type 3or Type 4 analytics) or relevant context for network to generate suchanalytics based on Type 1 or Type 2 data.

Examples of Terminal Analytics Data (TAD) include: (1) Mobility-relatedanalytics; and (2) Communication-related analytics.

In the first category, more concrete examples include finer granularityof positioning information beyond Tracking Area (TA) or Cells (e.g.proximity information on relative distance and/or relative directionwith respect to other UEs within the same network) andvelocity/acceleration information determining expected changes in speedand/or direction of movement by a UE or group of UEs.

In the second category, more concrete examples include group Identifiers(either Internal or External) where data cannot be exposed to the corenetwork (5GC) from application servers to identify users interactingwith each other (for different services like proximity-basedapplications, network-controlled interactive services or evenover-the-top application services).

Embodiments of the disclosure provide automated network configurationsbased on TAD. Specific examples relate to network slices, although thisis exemplary only and not intended to be limiting. A Network Slice is acomplete logical network including Radio Access Network (RAN) and CoreNetwork (CN). It provides telecommunication services and networkcapabilities, which may vary (or not) from slice to slice. Distinct RANand Core Network Slices will exist. A device may access multiple NetworkSlices simultaneously through a single RAN. The use of network slices,or other concepts, in this description is to exemplify network operationand is not intended to be limiting. Other network configurations may beimproved or optimized according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

Example 1

The network diagnoses that the user's (or users') Quality of Experience(QoE) on a slice (e.g. slice A) has suddenly degraded at instance T. Viacombining this Network diagnostic Analytics Data (Type 2) with TerminalAnalytics Data on positioning information (at instance T), the networkidentifies that the QoE degradation has happened when users from aspecific location (e.g. Zone M) have subscribed and selected slice A.The network also identifies other users from the same Zone M arefunctioning acceptably on slice B with similar capabilities as slice A.As a result, for future slice selection intervals, the network putsslice A in a black list for users from Zone M and provides slice B as analternative option (as Type 4 analytics). This alleviates the level ofloading on slice A and prevents upcoming users from perceiving adegraded QoE.

Example 2

The network diagnoses that a certain user's (or users') QoE on a slice(e.g. slice C) has degraded at different time instances. Via combiningthis Network diagnostic Analytics Data (Type 2) with Terminal AnalyticsData on velocity information, the network identifies that the QoEdegradation happened when users have reached a certain velocity (e.g.V). The network also identifies that another slice (e.g. slice D withsimilar capabilities as slice C), is quite resilient for users at higherspeeds. As a result, for future slice selection intervals, the networkputs slice C in a black list for users at velocity V (and beyond) (Type3 analytics) and provides slice D as an alternative option. This ensuresthat users at different velocities experience more consistent QoE acrossdifferent slices.

The flow chart of FIG. 1 shows how Type 3 or Type 4 analytics data canbe generated via combining Terminal Analytics Data (TAD) with NetworkAnalytics Data (NAD) in line with the above examples.

In more detail, flow starts at S10. At S20, Type 1/Type 2 Analytics areproduced by observing NAD, At S30, a determination is made as to whetherQoE has changed. If not, flow continues to S60. If the QoE has changed,then at S40 relevant TAD are obtained via NWDAF and, at S50, these arecombined with NAD in the NWDAF to yield Type 3/Type 4 Analytics.

At S60, a decision is made as to whether Slice selection is updated. Ifnot, flow returns to S20. If the slice is to be updated, then at S70,slice mapping in updated per UE (or multiple UEs) as required. Fromthere, flow returns to S20.

Procedure 1: To Collect Analytics on the UE

Multiple procedures can run as part of the software environment of a UEto collect different types of analytics (identified by differentProcedure IDs). Here, such procedures are collectively termed “Procedure1”. It is assumed that NWDAF is aware of Procedure IDs and the nature ofthe analytics data generated by each procedure.

Procedure 2: To Enable TAD Settings on the UE

In order to enable TAD settings, NWDAF invokes a handshake messagingwith the UE (via established N1 signaling messages of the Access andMobility Management Function—AMF) within the Core.

In particular, the following steps form part of Procedure 2, as shown inFIG. 2:

-   -   2a. The NWDAF invokes the Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer        operation on the appropriate AMF including the UE Configuration        Update Command message container. This container includes the        TAD Settings IE (a proposed new IE).    -   2b. The AMF sends the UE Configuration Update Command towards        the UE. (If the UE is idle the network triggered service request        procedure is performed, if delivery of the TAD Settings IE is        urgent.)    -   2c. The UE sends the UE Configuration Update Complete towards        the AMF.    -   2d. If the NWDAF has previously requested notification the AMF        will invoke the Namf_Communication_N1MessageNotify operation.

Procedure 3: To Share TAD with NWDAF

In order to share TAD generated as part of Procedure 1 with NWDAF 40,embodiments of the disclosure get the information from the UE 10 viaestablished N1 signaling messages to the AMF 20 as a new InformationElement (IE) added to the Registration Request of the UE.

Two options can be considered on how the NWDAF 40 gets the informationfrom the AMF 20. The corresponding procedures are illustrated as twooptions in FIG. 3, which illustrates the message exchanges associatedwith each option:

Option1: In particular, the below steps form part of Procedure 3-Option1 as also shown in FIG. 3:

-   -   3a. NWDAF 40 subscribes to AMF 20 to be informed of all        Registration Requests containing the TAD IE.    -   3b. AMF 20 completes NWDAF 40 subscription request and responds.    -   3c. AMF 20 receives a registration request from UE 10 incl. TAD        data.    -   3d. AMF 20 notifies corresponding NWDAF 40 as it has already        subscribed to.    -   3e. NWDAF 40 uses the newly proposed service, Namf_TAD_GET        Request message to retrieve the Terminal Analytics. The        notification applies for all UEs so either the Namf_TAD_GET        request would be for a single UE (uniquely identified by a 5G        Subscription Permanent Identifier—SUPI as an optional input) or        it would be a batch request. The NWDAF could specify a        particular SUPI when it subscribes for notifications.    -   3f. AMF 20 responds with TAD data to NWDAF 40.

Option2: The following steps form part of Procedure 3-Option 2 as alsoshown in FIG. 3:

-   -   3g. NWDAF 40 subscribes to AMF 20 event exposure service,        providing a newly proposed “TAD Update” Event ID to be informed        of occurrences of this event. This subscription can be for an        individual SUPI, or set of SUPIs, or all.    -   3h. AMF 20 responds to NWDAF 40 subscription, also providing        subscription correlation ID.    -   3i. UE 10 sends a Registration Request that includes Terminal        Analytics Data.    -   3j. this triggers the notification of the event towards the        NWDAF 40 together with the new Terminal Analytics Data.

The UE checks the size of TAD, so as not to exceed the limit set byNG-RAN. If the size is under the limit defined by NG-RAN, then the UEincludes the TAD in a single UL NAS TRANSPORT message (N1).Alternatively, if the size exceeds the limit, the UE splits the TAD intoa plurality of smaller UL NAS TRANSPORT messages (N1) to be sentseparately, each under the limit defined by NG-RAN. In a furtheralternative, if the size exceeds the limit (or if the control planeexperiences temporary congestion), then the UE may compress the TAD ortransfer partial TAD, below the size limit defined by NG-RAN

Triggers for Terminal Analytics

As the above proposed procedures to share Terminal Analytics with NWDAFmay be required more frequently than a single Registration Request or atspecified times, embodiments of the disclosure comprise two types oftriggers for the above procedures.

-   -   Event-based triggers    -   Timer-based triggers

Event-Based Triggers:

Events can be defined (e.g. mobility of the UE into a new area, periodicregistration expiry) which invoke a Registration Request by a UE. Thesemay originate from changes in device QoE e.g. due changes in network orslice-level loading status that can be measured by certain KPIs, suchas:

-   -   Average or median of packet latency;    -   Packet error rate    -   Average or median of packet jitter.

Timer-Based Triggers for Terminal Analytics:

Alternatively, time intervals can be defined as Triggers to invoke UERegistration Request. The intervals can be set for an individual SUPI,or set of SUPIs or for all.

The Interval for the TAD collection can be set in such a way as toensure minimal impact beyond existing NAS signaling on UE powerconsumption. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, it is assumedthat the interval can be dynamically (yet individually) set based on theUE level of power consumption/battery usage. The interval can be madelonger (less frequent) if the UE is in a power saving mode. The intervalcan be made shorter (more frequent) if the UE has sufficient power basedon device-level estimated battery life or other power depletion metrics.

FIG. 4 shows an example call flow for Procedure 3 based on Option 2 withtimer-based triggers for TAD. In more detail, the following steps areillustrated:

-   -   4a. The NWDAF 40 subscribes to the TAD Update event from AMF 20        (a newly proposed event according to an embodiment of the        disclosure). This can be for a particular UE 10, group of UEs,        or all UEs. The event reporting can also be set for particular        areas of interest.    -   4b. The AMF 20 responds to the subscription request, including a        correlation ID.    -   4c. At some later point in time (set by the timer value), the UE        10 performs a Registration Request, and includes the new        Terminal Analytics Data IE as part of that.    -   4d. The AMF 20 reports this data to the NWDAF 40 including also        AMF ID and correlation ID for the TAD Update Event ID.

Procedure 4: Similar Procedures as Above May be Followed for all UEs toProvide TAD.

In particular, the procedures 1-3, set out above, can be repeated forseveral UEs to collect TAD data.

Procedure 5: To Update Slice Selection

The NWDAF 40 compares its knowledge of past load levels for the(potential) network slice instances that can support target UEs' withpast TAD information on the QoE experienced by the UEs.

It determines that in certain locations, at certain times, the QoElevels provided to UEs by one of the network slices instances dropssignificantly but is within targets for UEs using the other instances(similar to Example 1).

It creates a new selection policy that sends more UEs to the othernetwork slice instances at certain times, and in certain locations. Inparticular, NWDAF 40 notifies the NSSF 30 that the selection policy haschanged and provides the new policy.

Two alternative variants for steps in the Procedure to update sliceselection can be considered:

-   -   In one variant, the Single Network Slice Selection Assistance        Information (S-NSSAI) stays the same after applying the new        policy (e.g. S-NSSAI-A) while mapping the user to a new instance        (Transparent to the UE).    -   In second variant, the S-NSSAI changes after applying the new        policy (e.g. from S-NSSAI-A to S-NSSAI-B) while mapping the user        to a new instance.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate example call flows or message exchanges forProcedure 5 based on the two alternative variants described above. InProcedure 5, variant 1, the following steps are illustrated in FIG. 5:

-   -   5a. The NWDAF 40 receives load level notifications for network        slice instances.    -   5b. The NWDAF compares its knowledge of past load levels for the        network slice instances that S-NSSAI-A can be mapped to with        past TAD information on the QoE experienced by UEs using        S-NSSAI-A. It determines that in certain locations, at certain        times, the QoE levels provided to UEs by one of the network        slices instances drops significantly but is within targets for        UEs using the other instances. It creates a new selection policy        that sends more UEs to the other network slice instances at        certain times, and in certain locations.    -   5c. The NWDAF 40 notifies the NSSF 30 that the selection policy        has changed and provides the newly proposed slice selection        policy update.    -   5d. A UE 10 initiates a Registration Request towards the AMF 20,        including a Requested NSSAI that contains S-NSSAI-A.    -   5e. The AMF requests the NSSF to provide the Allowed NSSAI, etc.    -   5f. The NSSF selects a slice instance to serve S-NSSAI-A based        on the updated selection mapping policy received from the NWDAF.    -   5g. The NSSF provides the Allowed NSSAI, etc. to the AMF. (The        network slice instance selected is transparent to the UE, it        still gets the S-NSSAI-A back in the Allowed NSSAI that it        requested.)    -   5h. The AMF sends the Registration Accept to the UE.

In Procedure 5, variant 2, the following steps are illustrated in FIG.6:

-   -   6a. The NWDAF 40 receives load level notifications for network        slice instances.    -   6b. The NWDAF compares its knowledge of past load levels for the        network slice instances that S-NSSAI-A can be mapped to with        past TAD information on the QoE experienced by UEs using        S-NSSAI-A. It determines that in certain locations, at certain        times, the QoE levels provided to UEs by one of the network        slices instances drops significantly, but is within targets for        UEs using the other instances. It updates subscribed S-NSSAI        (stored within UDM).    -   6c. UDM update triggers a notification to AMF 20 on new S-NSSAI        (e.g. S-NSSAI-B).    -   6d. AMF invokes a User Configuration Update to UE 10 to notify        S-NSSAI changes.    -   6e. UE confirms User Configuration Update Complete.    -   6f UE initiates a Registration Request towards the AMF 20,        including a Requested NSSAI that contains S-NSSAI-B.    -   6g. The AMF requests the NSSF 30 to provide a slice instance        based on the requested NSSAI, etc.    -   6h. NSSF selects a slice instance to serve the new S-NSSAI        (S-NSSAI-B).

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a UE 700 according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

With reference to FIG. 7, a UE 700 of embodiments includes a transceiver702, a memory 704 and a processor 706.

The transceiver 702 is capable of transmitting/receiving signals to/fromRAN or base station or AMF via the RAN.

The memory 704 is capable of storing at least one of the following:information related to the UE and information transmitted/received viathe transceiver 702.

The processor 706 is capable of controlling operations of the UE 700.The processor 706 is capable of controlling the UE 700 to performoperations in the above described embodiments.

FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of an AMF 800 according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

With reference to FIG. 8, an AMF 800 of embodiments includes atransceiver 802, a memory 804 and a processor 806.

The transceiver 802 is capable of transmitting/receiving signals to/fromRAN or base station or NSSF or UE.

The memory 804 is capable of storing at least one of the following:information related to the UE and information transmitted/received viathe transceiver 802.

The processor 806 is capable of controlling operations of the AMF 800.The processor 806 is capable of controlling the AMF to performoperations in the above described embodiments.

FIG. 9 illustrates a block diagram of an NSSF 900 according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

With reference to FIG. 9, an NSSF 900 of embodiments includes atransceiver 902, a memory 904 and a processor 906.

The transceiver 902 is capable of transmitting/receiving signals to/fromAMF or NWDAF.

The memory 904 is capable of storing at least one of the following:information related to the UE and information transmitted/received viathe transceiver 902.

The processor 906 is capable of controlling operations of the NSSF 900.The processor 906 is capable of controlling the NSSF to performoperations in the above described embodiments.

FIG. 10 illustrates a block diagram of an NWDAF 1000 according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

With reference to FIG. 10, an NWDAF 1000 of embodiments includes atransceiver 1002, a memory 1004 and a processor 1006.

The transceiver 1002 is capable of transmitting/receiving signalsto/from the AMF.

The memory 1004 is capable of storing at least one of the following:information related to the UE and information transmitted/received viathe transceiver 1002.

The processor 1006 is capable of controlling operations of the NWDAF1000. The processor 1006 is capable of controlling the NWDAF 1000 toperform operations in the above described embodiments.

At least some of the example embodiments described herein may beconstructed, partially or wholly, using dedicated special-purposehardware. Terms such as ‘component’, ‘module’ or ‘unit’ used herein mayinclude, but are not limited to, a hardware device, such as circuitry inthe form of discrete or integrated components, a Field Programmable GateArray (FPGA) or Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), whichperforms certain tasks or provides the associated functionality. In someembodiments, the described elements may be configured to reside on atangible, persistent, addressable storage medium and may be configuredto execute on one or more processors. These functional elements may insome embodiments include, by way of example, components, such assoftware components, object-oriented software components, classcomponents and task components, processes, functions, attributes,procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware,microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays,and variables. Although the example embodiments have been described withreference to the components, modules and units discussed herein, suchfunctional elements may be combined into fewer elements or separatedinto additional elements. Various combinations of optional features havebeen described herein, and it will be appreciated that describedfeatures may be combined in any suitable combination. In particular, thefeatures of any one example embodiment may be combined with features ofany other embodiment, as appropriate, except where such combinations aremutually exclusive. Throughout this specification, the term “comprising”or “comprises” means including the component(s) specified but not to theexclusion of the presence of others.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filedconcurrently with or previous to this specification in connection withthis application and which are open to public inspection with thisspecification, and the contents of all such papers and documents areincorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including anyaccompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps ofany method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination,except combinations where at least some of such features and/or stepsare mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanyingclaims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative featuresserving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly statedotherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each featuredisclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent orsimilar features.

Although the present disclosure has been described with one or moreembodiments, various changes and modifications may be suggested to oneskilled in the art. It is intended that the present disclosure encompasssuch changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method performed by a network data analyticsfunction (NWDAF) entity in a communication system, the methodcomprising: subscribing to an event exposure service of an access andmobility management function (AMF) entity, wherein the event exposureservice is for notification of an event based on registration of a userequipment (UE); identifying first information associated with the UEregistered to single-network slice selection assistance information(S-NSSAI) based on the subscription to the event exposure service;identifying second information on a load level of a network sliceinstance corresponding to the S-NSSAI; identifying analytics associatedwith the S-NSSAI based on the first information and the secondinformation; and transmitting, to a network slice selection function(NSSF) entity, the analytics associated with the S-NSSAI.
 2. The methodof claim 1, wherein reception of the first information is based on theregistration of the UE, wherein the registration of the UE is based on aregistration request message including the S-NSSAI, and wherein theregistration request message is transmitted by the UE toward the AMFentity.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the reception of the firstinformation is further based on information of an area of interest. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein the UE corresponds to a subscriptionpermanent identifier (SUPI).
 5. A network data analytics function(NWDAF) entity in a communication system, the NWDAF entity comprising: atransceiver; and a processor configured to: subscribe to an eventexposure service of an access and mobility management function (AMF)entity, wherein the event exposure service is for notification of anevent based on registration of a user equipment (UE), identify firstinformation associated with the UE registered to single-network sliceselection assistance information (S-NSSAI) based on the subscription tothe event exposure service, identify second information on a load levelof network slice instance corresponding to the S-NSSAI, identifyanalytics associated with the S-NSSAI based on the first information andthe second information, and transmit, to a network slice selectionfunction (NSSF) entity via the transceiver, the analytics associatedwith the S-NSSAI.
 6. The NWDAF entity of claim 5, wherein reception ofthe first information is based on the registration of the UE, whereinthe registration of the UE is based on a registration request messageincluding the S-NSSAI, and wherein the registration request message istransmitted by the UE toward the AMF entity.
 7. The NWDAF entity ofclaim 6, wherein the reception of the first information is further basedon information of an area of interest.
 8. The NWDAF entity of claim 5,wherein the UE corresponds to a subscription permanent identifier(SUPI).